Armored car guard shot in Sacramento credit union robbery

By DARCY COSTELLO

Published 12:09 pm, Friday, July 8, 2016

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An armored car guard and suspected armed robber are both in critical condition after a shootout outside a credit union Friday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said.

The Brinks Inc. armored car guard was leaving a Golden 1 Credit Union branch on Florin Road in south Sacramento with a bag of money about 9:30 a.m. when a masked man armed with a handgun approached on foot, Sheriff's Sgt. Tony Turnbull said.

Both were wounded in the ensuing shootout. "It was a quick exchange of fire," Turnbull said.

Deputies found the guard shot once in the upper body and lying on the ground. The suspect was shot multiple times.

Two semi-automatic handguns and a black bag containing plastic bags of money were strewn around on the pavement outside the credit union after the shootout, along with black boots and articles of clothing.

Nina Pancho, 21, of Sacramento said she was sitting in a chair near the front of the credit union, waiting to open an account, when she spotted the Brinks guard and the suspect.

"I seen the robber coming up with his gun," she said. "He was by himself and coming, walking diagonal across the parking lot. He must've plotted it because he waited until the guy came out to try and rob him."

The suspect was wearing sunglasses, boots, a hat and appeared to be wearing clothing similar to the guard, as if he were "trying to copy what the Brinks guys wear," she said — but he had a surgical mask over his face.

"A lady was at the ATM when the robber came and she heard him say to drop the money and obviously he dropped it. The robber shot first," she said. "When I heard the shots fired, I ran to the back."

Paramedics were still attending to the guard and suspect when she was allowed to leave the credit union about 10 minutes later.

A second Brinks employee was in the armored car nearby but was not involved in the shootout, Turnbull said.

Golden 1 said the credit union branch would remain closed during the investigation. Spokesmen for Brinks did not immediately comment.